The Madonna and Child with Saints
1550
From the collection of Statens Museum for Kunst
This painting shows four figures sitting outdoors. A woman in a pink dress holds a baby on her lap. To her right, a woman in a headscarf leans in, looking at the child. On the left, a robed man stands holding a staff. The background has hills and a distant town. The woman’s face is softly lit, while the shadows around her are deep. This lighting trick makes her look three-dimensional. Look up chiaroscuro to see how artists use light and shadow like this.
